A factory will be built this year in the Brazilian state of São Paulo to produce a Chinese vaccine against the Covid-19 virus, Xinhua reports, citing São Paulo Governor João Doria.

The Chinese state-run news agency quotes Mr Doria as saying the factory may double the capacity of Brazil to produce the vaccine, CoronaVac, which Sinovac Biotech Ltd of China has developed.

Mr Doria said Brazilian companies and multinational companies working in Brazil would donate the money for the factory, and that a fund for countering the Covid-19 pandemic had collected 96 million reals (about US$17.2 million) so far.

He said a Chinese company would equip the factory so it new could open in the next four months.

The factory will be capable of producing other vaccines as well as CoronaVac for use in Latin America, Xinhua quotes Mr Doria as saying.